


Stacking the Odds

by ImperfectOrphanage



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-11 12:48:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11714712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImperfectOrphanage/pseuds/ImperfectOrphanage
Summary: Joshua was an enigma to Neku. Thankfully, after a couple of baby books and a visit to the past, Neku learns just a little bit more.





	Stacking the Odds

 

The throne room wasn’t exactly as Joshua had made it out to be at the end of the Game. Over the time Neku had spent as his Conductor, he’d seen it change from a cold room of stone to a rather nice den with wall to wall books and a fireplace. It did change with Joshua’s mood, and sometimes it would revert back to the cold black emptiness. Thankfully, since Neku had been on board, it rarely happened.

Along with the den, the throne room also had a door to the left and a nook in the back right. In the back right, Joshua kept his most important, rare books. The room to the left was usually locked, but today it hung half open as if to tease Neku.

_Come and peek._

He paused, arms loaded with books, to stare at the door.

Joshua was a secretive person.

Neku shouldn’t pry.

But…maybe…maybe it was a test and Joshua wanted to see if he would go in. Or…maybe he wanted to make sure Neku saw it and would be hurt if he didn’t…

Damn. Joshua was such an enigma.

He set the books down. He crossed the room. He peered into the crack of the door.

The room was small and dark. Neku flicked the light switch and a lamp clicked on. It was sitting dead center on a side table next to a cute pink recliner. Under the chair was a handmade rag rug, and on the walls were tiny cross stitch decorations.

Neku snorted. It looked like the room of an English grandmother. It even smelled like Earl Grey tea.

He stepped inside and shut the door. Three bookcases were in the room, but aside from a few magazines they didn’t hold reading material. Instead, there were photo boxes and photo albums, a sewing box next to a sewing machine, a pair of knitting needles jabbed into a ball of pink yarn, and a few cute little figurines and such. Neku felt like he was seeing something he shouldn’t, but he walked to the wall with the photo boxes and began to pick through them. He chose a plain white box labeled memories, and inside he found little cards and valentines. There were crumpled notes and ticket stubs among them, and they all had a date and a sentimental feel.

Neku put it back. He pulled a blue photo album from the shelf and glanced at the front. It had a lace heart and little beads all around the words “Baby”. Flipping it open, Neku saw an adorable ultrasound picture of a baby at only four months. It was small and squishy looking, and he laughed.

The picture was marked “Baby Kiryu” and had a date from the early eighties. Neku turned the page and saw a certificate from the hospital saying “Congratulations! It’s a Boy!”. It listed vital statistics, such as length and weight, and even had two little hands and feet on it.

“How freaking cute is this,” Neku mumbled. He turned the page.

Baby Joshua lay sleeping in his lacy bassinette. His tiny fists were curled up to his chest and his legs were blurry from kicking while the shot was taken. Neku tickled the photo and smiled. He continued to flip and search through the book, watching Joshua grow from an adorable baby to a messy toddler with peas all over his face and chest. The pictures continued to age four, and after that it was time for a new book.

Choosing the next book, it was pink and sparkly, and the front had an arrangement of pictures in a circle of Joshua from age five to thirteen. The book was thicker than the other one, and Neku found it hard to hold up without a little help. He sat down in the granny chair and pulled the lever to recline it.

The first picture showed age five Joshua staring up at him with a runny nose and a pout. He had a tiger plush behind him in one chubby fist, and he held a hand to his left eye as tears formed. Neku laughed. There were so many memories. Within two years time, Joshua was bright and happy, and he dressed like a little gentleman in his Sunday best. He was a cute child, and around age seven or eight, he started to grow a bit more quiet in mood. There weren’t tears or sadness, but there weren’t as many smiles either. A few of the pictures showed Joshua staring into the distance with a strange look, or touching air that formed a white smudge on the photograph.

At the end of year seven, Joshua was standing with Hanekoma in front of the café. He had his arms wrapped around Hanekoma’s as the barista knelt a bit to hold him. Joshua’s eyes sparkled and he was a bit blurry from movement.

The next picture was Joshua sitting at the counter. He was pointing at the menu with his small fingers and he seemed to be laughing. Across the bar was Hanekoma, smiling just as bright.

“You know, Neku,” Joshua said from the doorway, “if you were curious you could have asked.”

“I know,” Neku didn’t startle since he was used to Joshua popping up, “but the door was open.”

Joshua giggled and sat down on the arm of the chair before sliding down to rest against Neku. He put his arms around Neku’s shoulders and smiled at the pictures. “Sanae never changes. Though, I believe he looks a bit younger.”

“Probably because he didn’t have to put up with your reign as Composer.”

“Mm. Do you want to see how I was?”

“What’dya mean?” Neku flipped the page. “Is that…”

“Oh, right. I stole the camera to take pictures of my belly button.”

“Oh my goodness that’s adorable.”

“Seriously,” Joshua shifted against Neku, “I can show you.”

Neku tilted his head and smiled. “Videos?”

“Even better. Put the book away and I’ll show you firsthand.”

Firsthand? Neku must have looked ten times more confused than he felt since Joshua laughed brightly and stood up. He took Neku’s hand and pulled him from the chair before taking the book to set aside. The two of them embraced and Joshua put his forehead against Neku’s.

“Close your eyes,” he ordered.

Neku nodded, skin against skin, and exhaled.

There was an indescribably odd feeling, followed by a rush of warm air, and the feeling of raindrops sliding down his body. He opened his eyes to find they were in an older version of Shibuya, and the rain did nothing to get them wet.

Inside of the WildKat, Neku could see the tiny version of Joshua bouncing happily at the counter on one of the tall stools. He was pointing at the menu and babbling about one thing or another, while a couple dressed in fine clothes sat in a table close to him. They laughed and smiled knowingly at each other.

“Mother and Father brought me here quite often. I was a quiet child,” Joshua explained, walking through the door. He continued when Neku followed. “I blossomed around Sanae. He treated me like an adult and we talked about the things I saw. Sanae never judged me. He never called me strange and he never told me I had an overactive imagination. Mother and Father no longer had to deal with my delusions.”

The tiny Joshua giggled and leaned over the counter, feet kicking in the air. “I want that one and that one, too. I like those little cakes. I want those things and that cookie.”

“Joshua,” his mother said, “you’ll ruin your dinner.”

“I’m not going to eat them _now_ , Mother. I’m going to save them and share them with you guys.”

Hanekoma grinned. “How’er ya payin’?”

“I gots all sorts of money, Sanae. Lookit,” he said, digging in his rather adorable khaki slacks. Joshua set an arrangement of coins and bills on the counter and he pointed at each one as he counted up to the total and beyond. “I’ll give the rest to you as a tip.”

“Joshua,” his father said, “we don’t tip in Japan. It’s rude.”

“Oh. Well, uh,” Joshua stared at the ceiling, his tongue peeking out from between his lips, “uh, I’ll give it to you as a present. You can buy more delicious things.”

Hanekoma shook his head. “Nah, kiddo. You keep it. Y’might want ta buy somethin’ else.”

“Of course! There’s a dinosaur in the toy shop near Molco that I really want. It’s super big and it has this long neck and big feet. I think they said it was a brackie something.”

“I ain’t gonna correct ya. I don’t know anythin’ about dinosaurs.”

Joshua sucked in an excited breath. “Really? I gotta get my backpack.”

Neku watched as Joshua hoped from the stool to land in a crouch. The tiny legs quivered as he landed and he held his arms out like an olympian. He hurried to his pink backpack with angel wings and dug out a large, thin book about dinosaurs. Carrying it to the counter, he made a face when he realized he might not be able to climb with it.

Instead of picking on the poor kid, Hanekoma rounded the counter and knelt to his height. To Neku he seemed far more fatherly than Joshua’s actual father.

“Okay, kiddo, lay it on me.”

He started to explain everything about dinosaurs and about how they ate certain things based on one thing or another. Tiny Joshua laughed and hugged Hanekoma, eventually standing with his back to Hanekoma’s front so they could both see the book.

Neku felt Joshua’s presence beside him move away, and he followed his Composer outside.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hm? Oh, nothing. I wanted to show you more.”

“You don’t have to, you know. It’s private, right?” Neku reached out to thread his fingers with Joshua’s to give his hand a squeeze. “C’mon, we can go back.”

“Are you sure?” Joshua tilted his head up to watch the rain fall. “Alright. I feel our outing was a bit too brief. I wanted to show you everything.”

“Josh,” Neku sighed, “it’s alright. I know it was tough for you. You don’t have to show me.”

The Composer turned to stare at Neku with luminous eyes. “Thank you, Neku. The offer will always be available to you.”

A squeal caught Neku’s attention and he glanced back to see Joshua balancing on Hanekoma’s shoulders with his arms flailing in the air. Hanekoma had his hands firmly on Joshua’s legs, and the tiny tot laughed in peals of happiness.

“Heh. You’re a cute kid.”

Joshua giggled. “Of course I am. I’ve always been a looker.”

“I don’t know about that,” Neku teased. He loved to see Joshua’s mouth curl into a pout.

Behind them the door opened and the tiny Joshua was now standing in the doorway with one foot on the pavement outside. He tilted his head and a cascade of blonde curls fell around his face. His lavender eyes stared up at Neku, and he grinned like an idiot.

“Wait,” Neku stepped back, “he…he can see us?”

Joshua smiled. “Of course. Why else did you think I picked this time? I saw us back then.”

“So…is that why-“

The small Joshua giggled and held his hand out. “Hi!”

“Joshua,” his mother called, “come back in or you’ll get wet.”

“O’tay,” he said, not turning. “I’ll meet you in the future, won’t I?”

Neku knelt down. “Yeah.”

“Yay!” The young child said, and he kissed Neku’s cheek before running back into the café.

Joshua exhaled. “I suppose you realize why I chose you.”

“Well,” Neku hopped back up, “I’m not going to argue the Grandfather Paradox with you. I’m too hungry and I want to get back before the Tin Pin Championships.”

“That’s tonight?” Joshua sounded just like his younger self. “We’ve got to get back.”

Neku took one last look at the small version of Joshua before disappearing. He was hugging his mother and father and he seemed happy. It was sort of sad how Joshua would be such a closed individual in his later years, and it made Neku wonder why it’d happened.

“Oh, good,” Joshua said, landing them right outside of Molco, “we’re early. C’mon, let’s go to the Mexican Dog and-what?”

He had been staring at Joshua.

“It’s nothing. It’s just…I’m glad you’re my friend, Josh.”

Joshua’s nose turned a shade of pink that spread over his slightly freckled cheeks. “I’m glad you’re my friend, too. Now hurry up. We’ve got thirty minutes to get our food and find a good spot to sit in. I’m not going to be left in the nosebleed section again.”

“You’d think,” Neku said, following after, “you’d use your powers to get a better seat.”

“Now, Neku, that’s cheating.”

Neku laughed. “Yeah, okay. Coming from the guy who rigged the game in our week.”

“I told you,” Joshua giggled, “I was merely stacking the odds in our favor.”

Neku couldn’t help but smile.

Same old Joshua.


End file.
